I’ve worked in organizations where you have low benefits, work long hours, get chewed up, get told to “pay your dues” - they are stupid. Nobody there actually believes that shit, they just repeat it bc it was told to them, and they stuck around long enough to repeat it. Even the people who somehow managed to come in laterally past the shit-job dues-paying stage still perpetuate it, bc it keeps them in their status position.
My advice would be to pick what you want to do then try to get as much money as you can to do that job. If you like the work, most people will actually try to do a good job if they like what they’re doing.
The worst is when you love what you do but get underpaid, shit on, or mistreated. I know a dude in that position right now. He won’t leave bc he’s considered mission essential and he’s “afraid he’ll burn a bridge.” In reality, his office has him on a bungee cord and pushed him off the bridge already.